Felt-drying machine



Nov. 11 I924.

E. J. WILSON FELT DRYING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Shae. 1

1 Diva/2 202 $220655: Wax/A FELT DRYING MACHINE Filed July 14 1921 2 sheen-sheet WMMM 441M r Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

" in. I

EZEKIEL J. WILSON, OF EAST GREENBUSH, NEW YORK, ASSIGN'O'R TO F. C. H'UYCK & SONS, OF RENSSELAER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FELT DRYIN G BIACHINE.

Application filed July 14,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EZEKIEL J. lVILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Greenbush, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lml'n'ovements in Felt- Drying Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to dryers such as are used for drying the felts for paper making machines and similar endless webs of fabric and relates more particularly to the mechanism for stretching the felts.

In felt dryers such as are used in the manufacture of felts for paper making machines the length of the finished felt is determined by a take-up roll which is'mounted for movement toward and from the drying cylinder (or cylinders) and is moved away from the cylinder after the endless felt has been applied to the cylinder and roll to stretch the damp felt and bring it to its proper final length. A heavy pull is re quired to stretch the damp unfinished felt to its final length which, in the case of the larger felts, may be, and frequently is, as high as fifteen tons or more. The mechanism usually employed for moving the takeup roll to stretch the felt has been a manually operated pawl and ratchet mechanism requiring the combined strength of at least two men to apply sufficient pull to the roll to stretch even the smaller and lighter felts. In drying the larger and heavier felts the combined strength-of as many as eight men is required to stretch the damp or partially dried felt to its final lengths by the usual -manually operated stretching mechanisms.

The operation of these stretching mechanisms is not only extremely laborious but not infrequently results in injury to the workmen due to the sudden giving way of the operating levers or pawls under the heavy or sudden strains to which they are necessarily subjected.

It is the object of the present invention to eliminate the objectionable features outlined above and to this end the invention contemplates theprovision of mechanism by which the take-up roll of a felt drying machinemay be automatically or power actu ated in a commercially practical and effi' 1921. Serial No. 484,741.

cient manner to stretch even the largest and heaviest felts. In the preferred form of the invention the power driven mechanism is mounted to travel with the take-up roll and is so constructed that it may be thrown into operation by the operator to cause a travel of the roll either toward or away from the drying cylinder. The mechanism is also preferably so constructed that it is self locking to securely hold the roll in any position into which it may be moved by such mechanism. In the preferred construction the roll and the mechanism by which it is automatically actuated to stretch the felt is also carried on a carriage which is mounted for movement toward or away from the drying cylinder and may be rigidly locked or anchored at varying distances from such cylinders in accordance with the length of felts being operated. upon. A feature of the invention consists in providing means for connecting the power driven mechanism to cause either a travel of the carriage or a travel of the roll on the carriage. The carriage may thus be readily and rapidly moved in bringing the roll up toward the drying cylinder for the removal of a finished felt and the applying of a damp unfinished felt to the cylinder and roll and may then be rapidly moved to retract the roll until the slack in the felt is taken up. The carriage may then be locked in fixed position and the power mechanism connected to move the roll more slowly on the carriage to stretch the felt to its final length.

The various features of the invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the mechanism illustrated therein. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mechanism embodying the present invention in its preferred form; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 22, Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view.

The machine, shown in the drawings is provided with the usual heated drying cylinder 2 which is mounted and driven in the usual manner and with the take-up roll it over which the felt 6 passes, and by movement of which the damp and unfinished felt is stretched to its final length. The take-up roll is mounted in bearing blocks 8 which are supported and guided on the fore and aft guide bars 10. The mechanism for moving the take-up roll to stretch the felt comprises two blocks 12 mounted for movement on the guide bars and connected by links 14 with the bearing blocks 8. Pinions 16 are mounted in the boxes 12 and, engage racks 18 which are fixed to the guide bars 10. As shown the pinions 16 are secured upon a transverse shaft 20, the bearings for which are formed in the blocks 12. A large worm wheel 22 is secured to the shaft and is engaged by a worm 24 carried by a worm shaft 26 which is mounted in hearings on a small motor carriage 28. The motor carriage 28 is provided with bearings 30 embracing the shaft 20 so that the carriage will move forward and back with the shaft when the shaft is rotated to cause a travel of the pinion blocks 12 and bearing blocks I 8 along the racks 18 and guide bars 10.

In the construction shown the power drive for the worm shaft 26 comprises an electric motor 32 mounted on the motor carriage and final length.

connected by a chain drive 34 with a shaft 36 which is mounted on the motor carriage parallel to the worm shaft 26. The motor is of the reversible type and may be started in either direction or stopped at the will of the operator by an electric switch which may be mounted on the motor carriage and is indicated at 38 in Fig. 2. Thepower driven shaft 36 may be connected'with the worm shaft through. a pinion 40 carried by the shaft 86 and arranged to engage a gear 42 on the end of the worm shaft. The pinion is mounted to slide on the shaft 36 for a purpose to be described and is connected by a shifting bar 44 with a lever 46 by which the operator may conveniently shift the pinion.

Through the controlling switch the operator may readily and conveniently throw the power drive into and out of operation to move the take-up roll toward the drying cylinder in order to slacken a finished felt and to bring the roll into position for the application of an unfinished felt to the cylinder and roll and to thereafter forcibly draw the take-up roll away from the drying cylinder at intervals during the drying until the felt is stretched to a predetermined When the power drive is thrown out the take-up roll is securely locked by the worm and worm wheel in the position to which it has been moved.

WVhile the guide bars and racks may be secured upon fixed supports if desired it is preferred in embodying the invention in a machine adapted for drying felts of widely varying lengths to mount the bars and racks on a rack-carriage 48 which may be positioned at varying distances from the drying cylinder in accordance with the length of felts being operated upon, thus leaving the space back of the carriage which would otherwise be obstructed by the racks and guide bars free for temporary use when rsiawis operating upon the shorter felts. As shown the carriage 48 is provided with flanged wheels 50 running upon flat tracks 52 and is also provided with T-ended locking bolts 54 adapted to pass through slots 56 in the tracks and lock the carriage firmly in any adjusted position. The carriage 48 is also provided with fore and aft channel bars 58 which form the supporting guideways for the motor carriage 28 and are engaged by wheels 60 on the motor carriage.

In order that the carriage 48 may be readily moved from one position to another means is provided for propelling the carriage from the power driven shaft 36 on the motor carriage. This means comprises a shaft 62 mounted on themotor carriage in line with the worm shaft 26 and provided with a gear 64 which is so arranged that the pinion 40 may be engaged therewith by shifting it on the shaft 36. The shaft 62 is connected by a chain drive 66 with a shaft 68 which is mounted on the motor carriage and is arranged in line with a shaft 70 which is mounted on the carriage 48. The shaft 68 carries a clutch member 7 2 adapted to engage a. clutch member 74 on the shaft 70 when the motor carriage is properly positioned on the carriage 48. The clutch member 72 may be shifted on the shaft 68 to engage it with and disengage it from the clutch member 74 by a shifter lever 76 which is connected by a link 78 with an operating lever 80. The shaft 70 carries a worm 82 engaging a worm wheel 84 on a transverse shaft 86 which is mounted in the carriage 48 and is provided with rubber faced wheel 88 for engaging the floor and propelling the I carriage toward or from the drying cylinder. In changing the position of the rack carriage for operating upon different lengths of felt or for rapidly moving the take-up roll toward and away from the drying cylinder in removing a finished felt and applying an unfinished felt to the machine the power drive may be connected with the pro polling mechanism for the rack carriage by shifting the pinions 40 into engagement with the gear 64. After the rack carriage has been retracted to take up the slack in the unfinished felt the rack carriage may be locked in position and the power drive then connected to the mechanism for actuating the take-up roll by shifting the pinion 40 into engagement with the gear v42. Thus the take-up roll or the take-up roll and rack carriage may be conveniently actuated without loss of time and without extreme muscular exertion or danger of bodily injury.

"While it is preferred to employ the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown and described it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential to the'broader features of the invention and may be varied'or modified as found desirable or best suited to the conditions under which the invention is to be used.

What is claimed is:

1. A felt drying machine having, in combination, a drying cylinder, a carriage movable toward and away from the cylinder, means for propelling the carriage, means for locking the carriage in position, a take-up roll mounted for fore and aft movement upon the carriage, a motor on the carriage, connections for transmitting motion from the motor to the carriage propelling means, connections for transmitting motion from the motor to the roll to move it on the carriage, and means for connecting the motor to either of said connections to either propel the carriage or to move the roll on the carriage.

2. A felt drying machine having, in combination, a drying cylinder, fore and aft racks, blocks mounted for movement along the racks, a take-up roll connected to move with the blocks, pinions mounted in the blocks and engaging the racks, a transverse shaft connected to rotate the pinions, and power driven mechanism for driving the shaft actuated independently of the felt passing over the cylinder and roll and mounted to travel with the shaft.

3. Stretching mechanism for felt drying machines comprising a rack carriage mounted for fore and aft movement, fore and aft racks on the carriage, blocks sliding along the racks, a take-up roll connected to move with the blocks, pinions mounted in the blocks and engaging the racks, power driven mechanism, and means for connecting the power driven mechanism to propel the rack carriage or to rotate the pinions.

l. Stretching mechanism for felt drying machines comprising a rack carriage mounted for fore and aft movement, a motor carriage mounted for fore and aft movement on the rack carriage, fore and aft racks on the rack carriage, blocks, mounted to slide along the racks, pinions mounted in the blocks and engaging the racks, power driven mechanism on the motor carriage,

and means for connecting the power mechanism to propel the rack carriage or to actuate the pinions.

5. Stretching mechanism for felt drying machines comprising fore and aft racks, blocks mounted to slide along the racks, a take-up roll connected to move with the blocks, pinions mounted in the blocks and engaging the racks, a motor carriage mounted to move with the blocks, an electric motor mounted in the carriage and connected to drive the pinions, and means for starting, stopping and reversing the motor.

6. Stretching mechanism for felt drying machines comprising fore and aft racks, blocks mounted for movement along the racks, a take-up roll connected to move with the blocks, pinions mounted in the blocks and engaging the racks, a transverse actuating shaft connected to rotate the pinions, power operated mechanism mounted to travel with the shaft and adapted to drive the shaft in either direction, and means for rendering the power operated mechanism active or inactive.

7. Stretching mechanism for felt drying machines comprising fore and aft racks, blocks mounted for movement along the racks, a take-up roll connected to move with the blocks, pinions mounted in the blocks and engaging the racks, a transverse actuating shaft connected to rotate the pinions, a worm wheel on the shaft, a worm engaging the wheel, power operated mechanism for rotating the worm, and means for rendering the power operated mechanism active or inactive.

8. A felt stretching machine having, in combination, a drying cylinder, fore and aft racks, blocks mounted for movement along the racks, a take-up roll connected to move with the blocks, pinions mounted in the blocks and engaging the racks, a transverse shaft connected to rotate the pinions, a motor carriage mounted for fore and aft movement with the shaft, and an electric motor on the carriage connected to drive the shaft.

EZEKIEL J. WILSON. 

